The Congo Basin Rainforest
The world's second-largest tropical rainforest, spanning six countries in Central Africa and storing vast amounts of carbon.
- Countries
- Cameroon, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of Congo
- Notable wildlife
- Forest elephants, bonobos, gorillas, okapi
A global carbon store
The forests and peatlands of the basin hold large amounts of carbon, and their health affects both regional rainfall and the global climate.
Life in the forest
The basin is home to the okapi, the bonobo and forest elephants, and to Indigenous peoples such as the Baka and Mbuti who have lived there for generations.
Pressures
Logging, farming, mining and the bushmeat trade are shrinking and fragmenting the forest. Conservation efforts include protected parks and community-managed forests.